Here’s Everyone Who’s Immigrated to the U.S. Since 1820

From 1820 to 2013, 79 million people obtained lawful permanent resident status in the United States. The interactive map below visualizes all of them based on their prior country of residence. The brightness of a country corresponds to its total migration to the U.S. at the given time.

Use the controls at the bottom to stop / resume the animation or to move back and forth in time.

Two Centuries of U.S. Immigration (1 dot = 10,000 people)

Over time, the sources of immigration trace a clear path across the world.

Through most of the 1800’s, immigration came predominantly from Western Europe (Ireland, Germany, the U.K.). Toward the end of the century, countries further east in Europe (Italy, Russia, Hungary) took over as the largest source of migration. Beginning in the early 1900’s, most immigrants arrived from the Americas (Canada, Mexico). And the last few decades have seen a rise in migration from Asia. The same trends are clear looking at the history of New York City’s foreign born population.

Here are the largest immigration “waves” charted over time, showing the progression.

While it may seem that immigration over the last few decades has been higher than ever before, the picture looks very different when viewed relative to the size of the U.S. population.

Here is the same chart, with the immigration shown as a percentage of the U.S. population.

Of my four grandparents, one is of Japanese descent, two are from Europe (a Polish Jew and an Italian Catholic), and one is native American. So genealogy and immigration flows have long been fascinations of mine.

What I think is particularly interesting about immigration to the U.S. is that each “wave” coming in from a particular country has a story behind it — usually escaping persecution (e.g. Jews escaping Russia after the May Laws were enacted, the Cuban Revolution) or major economic troubles (e.g. the Irish Potato Famine, the collapse of southern Italy after the Italian Unification).

There are plenty of dark spots on United States’ history, but the role it has played as a sanctuary for troubled people across the world is a history I feel very proud to be a part of.

If you would like to read more about what caused each of these groups to come to the U.S., this graphic summarizes some of the major events.

I'm an NYC-based entrepreneur (my newest project: Blueshift) and adjunct instructor at UPenn. I'm fascinated by data visualization and the ways that data is transforming our understanding of the world. I spend a lot of time with my face buried in Excel, and when I find something interesting I write about it here and also as a Guardian Cities and Huffington Post contributor.More about my background

Over time, the sources of immigration trace a clear path across the world.

David Gabay

‘Hungary’ in the chart should probably be Austro-Hungary, that also included present-day Czech republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, and parts of Romania, Ukraine and Poland.

I think a color for ‘all others’ will make the chart more complete and still not too complicated. There were immigration waves from countries not listed, such as Latin American countries or Scandinavian countries.

http://metrocosm.com Max Galka

All of those countries should be included in the “Other” categories. For example, Finland is not broken out separately. but it is part of “Other Europe,” which is shown coming out of Serbia (arbitrary).

soliterry

I really like this—- it doesn’t show anyone from Africa. Is that because slaves weren’t granted full permanent status? I think the map is cool but without that it gives an incomplete picture of the American fabric.

http://metrocosm.com Max Galka

Africa is included. Though most countries are not broken out separately. The report groups them together as “other africa.” The map shows the dots coming out of Congo.

soliterry

I see them now, thanks!

Y F

Africa immigration is included, Slavery is not. Slavery would not be considered within your dataset as they weren’t event considered people but product/property/commerce. Like Rex said, importation of enslaved was prior to 1820. Although illegal slavery still occurred. I think you may have misunderstood Soliterry’s original comment.

Rex_Magnus

The graphic starts in 1820. (Legal) slave importation was banned and ceased in 1809. Almost all Black Americans descend from people who were brought here prior to the year 1800.

soliterry

Thanks, I didn’t know that.

Y F

To further this point the US slave importation wasn’t high, US didn’t import as heavily as Caribbean & South America slave masters did. US imported low but literally bred slaves which is why there so many Blacks in US. Portugal brought most slaves to Americas to Brazil.

Manvender

Amazing visualization. Which tools did you use to make this? Possibly the most amazing thing I have seen lately

http://metrocosm.com Max Galka

Thank you! For the map I used D3. The particles were implemented separately using canvas and overlaid on top.

Edison Moreno

Very graphic and understanding way to illustrate a data info to an audience.

Bosda, The Raccoon Philosopher

Great.
Nice-nice, very nice.
Now then…when do we get to throw colored balls at those damn Foreigners?
We must have some balls to throw…they threw so many at us!

/s

http://metrocosm.com Max Galka

Yes, are already “throwing” lots of them. Net immigration to Mexico has been negative for about the last decade – includes many Mexican born people returning to be with family as well as American-born citizens immigrating to Mexico.

Oh, you’re right! I am truly behind the times as far as internet sarcasm goes. I misunderstood. And, I would have *no clue* where to learn the symbols like /s and the like. I’ll keep my eyes peeled for the /s. Yes, I’m slowly at the “get off my lawn” age…but not quite. 😉 Thanks for being nice about the explanation.

tb

hmmm today’s borders showed unchanged from 1820 🙂 in effect, no migration from latvia and ukraine as they didnt existed as countries, but as nations – yes

http://metrocosm.com Max Galka

Yes, in a few cases the place of origin required making a few judgment calls. There is an “Other Europe” category, which is shown coming out of Serbia. For 1990s and earlier, Ukraine and Latvia are included in Russia. After that they are part of Other Europe.

L Michele Lafferty

I’m not on the map because my family came here in 1752. Yes, before this country was a country.

Manfred Nissley

I would like to see a similar map featuring emigration from the US.

http://metrocosm.com Max Galka

A few other people have said the same. Could be interesting since US emigration trends are far less well known. Will have a look and see what kind of data is out there.

Prabal

Has it been created in tools like cognos analytics or watson analytics?

John Douglas

Its funny that Canada
dropped out of the top three in 1970

John Douglas

Its funny that Canada
dropped out of the top three in 1970

Inis_Magrath

Interesting how immigration from Russia was quite brisk from the 1880s until the time of the Bolshevik revolution when it nearly ceased entirely, but then springs back into life after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

http://metrocosm.com Max Galka

Yes, exactly. May Day laws + revolution of 1905 + Bolshevik revolution contributed to the first wave. The the USSR shut its doors. The second wave is when it began letting its Jewish population leave.

If you’re interested in the stories behind the immigration, you should have a look at this one.

It would have been more illustrative had it show ‘immigration’ to the New World starting from 1492. I think 1820 is the date that immigration from Europe exceeded that from Africa.

moon_gazer

Really interesting. However (isn’t there always one?) it seems to have not included the Diaspora from what used to be Greater Syria. Many, who now call themselves Lebanese, left Greater Syria due to Ottoman Domination. I was waiting for some balls to fly from the Levant in the late 1800’s, but didn’t see any. In any event, a neat project!

http://metrocosm.com Max Galka

Thanks. Have to take a closer look, but I think they should be included in “Asia Other,” which is seen coming out of Thailand.

moon_gazer

Yeah, probably hard to get every single little country in the world represented in this graphic. Anyway, great job!

L0525111

Love it this says it all. Of course we do not know how many illegals too 45% over stay their visas. Quick deportation on those people. if you go to another country and do that. You see how fast they come and get you. They take all your belongings too.

PersonPeople

Korea was a part of Japan from 1910 to the end of the WW2. Immigrants from Korea around that time carried Japanese passports so you might want to color Korea too for that time.

Taiwan was also a part of Japan but I am not sure that Taiwanese people carried Japanese passports when they moved to the US.

I am sure about Koreans though as I read many reports of Koreans who were sent to internment camps.

Sendejo

GTFO!

Nexusfast123

Interesting graphic.

Kendims

This is fantastic, thanks for putting it together! Just a note to say that in the 2nd graph, where you account for % of population, the second wave from Germany in the 1950s appears as the color of the UK instead. It’s a small thing, but wanted to let you know in case it’s relatively easy to correct. Thanks again!

http://metrocosm.com Max Galka

Oops! You’re right. Thanks a lot for pointing it out.

Gargie

“All your citizens are belong to us…”
~Murica Fuck Yeah

Alex Pixley

OMGTHATISSOCOOL! How do you make maps like that? Was this done with R (partly or completely) or do you have some other tool set?

http://metrocosm.com Max Galka

Thanks. R is great, but did not use it here. Everything is coded in Javascript, making heavy use of D3.

benjormin

Would it be possible, lol, to include the real borders of the US given the year and maybe also include a tally of indigenous populations and their declining numbers to contrast their decline with that of the expansion of the US?

benjormin

You could retitle it “Two Centuries of US lead Genocide” 🙂

http://metrocosm.com Max Galka

Thought about varying the borders, mostly of countries. Though didn’t think it was worth all the effort it would have taken here. Maybe would be good as its own map.

veggiedude

Between 1882 and WWII Chinese were excluded. That was the only time in history a group of people were excluded, but here comes Trump…

Susan Gawarecki

I wonder if the surge of Canadians in the 1910s represented people avoiding service in the Great War–conscription was instituted in 1917. Numbers drop off dramatically once it is over. It’s amusing to think that the USA might once have been the haven for Canadian draft dodgers.

I wonder how this map would compare to the other settler counties, especially Canada and Australia, but also Argentina or Brazil etc. As a Canadian descended from European immigrants who came over in the 60s, I long took it for granted that most of the people I knew came also came in the decades immediately post-war. Well, while that may be true for Canada, it’s clearly not true for the US.

http://metrocosm.com Max Galka

Have actually been meaning to do a map like this for Australia. Had not thought about Canada or S American countries, but they might also be interesting. Thanks for the suggestion.

http://freyjaw.dreamwidth.org/ FreyjaW

I’d love to see those.

Ly Nguyen

Ayy there’s little Vietnam in the 80’s! That’s how my dad got here.
Immigration really slowed down in the 40’s, but we still got Einstein so it was all good

Irene

Basically Germany has been vomiting migrants into this country for DECADES!!!

http://www.berardiimmigrationlaw.com/ Berardi Immigartion Law

United States has allowed immigrants from different nations to work and settle their fro better life style. After all its the fastest growing and developed country in the world full of opportunities for different people coming from different nation . But recently after election poll 2016 in US, government has made some drastic changes in the foreign immigration law policies. Its not an easy task to get eligible for working in the USA. You should have proper information or consultant who can make it easy for you.http://www.berardiimmigrationlaw.com

An amazing visualization! Thank you for creating this! I wonder if it is possible to add the destinations in the US – where were the immigration waves aiming to settle? It would be extremely interesting to see!

http://metrocosm.com Max Galka

Thanks! Yes, there is some good data available regarding the movement of peoples within the US. Might be a good one to focus on for its own graphic…

Charles Dowling

I do not see Poland in this, and yet they had higher immigration than Russia.

I found your animated graphic about immigration fascinating and important. My favorite part of your commentary was “There are plenty of dark spots on United States’ history, but the role it has played as a sanctuary for troubled people across the world is a history I feel very proud to be a part of.”

The two things I did not like were:
1. No discussion of how easy or difficult it was to obtain “legal permanent residence status” then vs. today. When did people have to start jumping through hoops or not have any options BUT to come without documents or overstay their VISAs?

2. I didn’t like the equating of people leaving Cuba (who didn’t like the revolution) with Jews escaping pogroms in Russia as the two examples of repression.

Thanks for sharing this.

http://metrocosm.com Max Galka

Thanks Alice. I would also like to know more about how the difficulty of immigration has changed over time. Regarding examples of repression, I did not mean to equate them, just to cite them as examples of repression. Also, the Jewish example was not escape from pogroms, it was escape from Russia after the May Laws at the end of the 19th century (includes my great grandparents).